Of Silver and Gold
by Vende Narluin
Summary: Xanatos DuCruet, after leaving Qui-Gon's apprenticeship, meets up with some old friends and is surprised by emotions stirred up from the past. [Slash warning]


Title: Of Silver and Gold  
  
Author: Colli  
  
Rating: PG13  
  
Disclaimer: I'm merely a clone in Emperor Lucas's Universe. Miskia and Cirdynn are mine. All else pays homage to him.  
  
  
  
Prologue.  
  
"Ah. to be six again." A familiar voice came from behind Xanatos. He turned, recognizing Miskia Rune, a member of his athletics class at the Temple. Her eyes looked past him, towards the crowd of children playing and splashing each other in the low-tide pool in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. She sat next to him on the large rock he'd been occupying for the past few minutes, then finally turned her head to look at him. They'd been together at the Temple for as long as they could remember, being of the same age and closely enough alike in appearance to cause people to think they were twins on occasion, despite their families being from opposite sides of the galaxy.  
  
"DuCruet," Miskia nodded to him as she spoke, her long black hair falling over her shoulder as she moved.  
  
Xanatos stood and bowed flourishingly, exaggerating every movement. "My dear Miss Rune, how wonderful it is to have you brake the silence of my afternoon with your magnificent presence," he fawned, raising his dark blue eyes to hers.  
  
"Sit down you idiot," Miskia pulled the edge of his tunic hard. "Now, do you have the answers to the test or not?" her foot was held over his, heel on toe, as she spoke, prepared to leave her mark if he'd lied earlier that day.  
  
Xanatos smirked, " Relax. Of course I do. Come with me." He grabbed her hand and lead her through the bushes and foliage that grew strangely well in the artificial suns of the room. Once far enough away from all prying eyes and burning ears, he let go, stopped and turned to face his accomplice. Reaching into his back pocket, Xanatos retrieved a small data pad.  
  
"This is everything you need. for the test, that is."  
  
Miskia took it and started scanning through, checking the goods. She grinned, "Thanks, babe." Turning to leave, she stopped suddenly, "Oh, and I suggest not keeping stuff that big in your back pocket.. makes your ass look all lumpy and less grabable." She walked away, through the bushes without a sound.  
  
  
  
As Xanatos found his own inconspicuous exit from the foliage, a projectile body crashed into him, sending both toppling to the ground.  
  
Now on his face, Xanatos muttered angrily as he stood and brushed off the dirt and leaves on his tunic. He turned to plant his large leather boot into whatever orifice he saw first, when he realized that the projectile body was in fact just the person he wanted to meet that afternoon.  
  
"Damn, sorry Xan! You okay? I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and you know me, well, sometimes my legs are faster than my head," he chuckled nervously. "I'm so sorry! Really! You sure you're okay?"  
  
Xanatos faked sincerity, "Well I don't know, Larq. I think I may have sprained my wrist." He winced dramatically as he assessed his joint.  
  
Larq, a rather gullible Mon Calamari, nearly fainted, "Oh no! By the Force! What can I do, Xan?! Anything to help! I'm SO sorry! Please don't tell the healers I did this to you! But if you don't get it fixed, you'll be out of class for days! Oh, I feel so bad! Sorry!!!"  
  
"Actually Larq, I think it's bleeding inside. feels like it's swelling too. If you're not too busy. could you go get me some ice.?" Xanatos pouted sadly, as tears slowly filled his eyes on command.  
  
"Yeah, yeah! Sure I can, buddy! I'll get it right away! Anything else? Anything at all!"  
  
Xanatos raised his head and whispered deviously, "Well, there is this one thing I've been trying to get a hold of. Get me the pass code for Miskia Rune's quarters."  
  
Larq froze. "But. but how-"  
  
He was cut off by Xan's scream of pain as a passerby brushed up against his "sprained" wrist.  
  
"Sorry! Of course, anything! I said anything, so I'll get you anything! Meet me here after last class. Please don't tell the healers." Larq scurried away, looking slightly dryer than normal for an amphibious being.  
  
Xanatos casually walked back to the rock he'd been sitting on earlier and took his seat. A glint shone in his eyes as a sinister smirk played across his lips, "Excellent."  
  
  
  
Later that day, after most of the Padawans had gone to their private chambers to catch up on missed sleep, Xanatos was just preparing to leave. After quickly towel-drying his hair from the shower, he checked the chrono over his bed - all most time to go.  
  
He tossed a black, silken cloak over his equally smooth fresh tunic and stepped out into the vacant hallway. The supposedly calming colours and decor of the Temple's passage ways did nothing to slow Xanatos's pulse. He just loved being nasty.  
  
It was a long walk to Miskia's chambers, especially for one not wishing to be seen, despite the lack of people in the hallways. Getting caught on holo sneaking into a girl's room after curfew would be the end of his solitude. Padawans on his floor, in their last possible year at the Temple if not chosen by a Master, were always punished with a roommate if they do not behave.  
  
Finally, after a good 15 minutes of being shifty, Xanatos reached his destination - room 1124, floor 58. Taking a quick peek around all corners within the area to make sure he'd not be disturbed, he then keyed in the pass code on the terminal next to the thransparachrome door.  
  
It slid open to frame darkness. Assuming Miskia had already gone to bed, Xanatos stepped in as quietly as possible and allowed his eyes to adjust. After a few moments, he was able to make out the outline of the grav-couch, the kitchen, and two separate bedroom doors. /Two? . uh oh./ Xanatos tensed when he felt something brush against the back of his neck.  
  
"And who might we have here.?" a voice from directly beside his ear whispered breathily. Having no idea who could be sharing the chamber with Miskia, Xanatos tried to make a break for it, turning on his heal, ducking, and making an attempt for the door into the hallway, but he was stopped with a foot on the front of his knee and a palm pressed against his forehead.  
  
"C'mon. you only just got here," suddenly the lights came on in the main chamber in which he stood and Xanatos was temporarily blinded.  
  
"Hey, you're kinda cute, kid," the voice spoke once more, this time from the direction of the grav-couch, and as Xan spun and tried to clear his head, he saw who he'd intruded upon.  
  
The boy must have been a few years older than himself, maybe 15, and he seemed to glow in the light of the room. His hair was shorter than his own, though it looked like it hadn't been cut in a while, and light, maybe even blond, though streaked through with brown. He sat casually, cross-legged the couch, looking Xanatos all over with the strangest eyes he'd ever seen. They seemed to be golden, bright and fiery, like those of an eagle, and as piercing too.  
  
Xanatos was stunned and the boy knew it, though he found himself to be quite shocked as well. This little invader was easy on the eyes and despite being only nearly 13 years old, it was obvious that he was on his way to perfection - Straight hair, amazingly black, reaching down to his shoulders, but only skimming them lightly at different lengths; beautiful indigo blue eyes, that seemed to flash to cerulean when surprised; a slender, but strong frame, hidden by layers of soft, dark cloth which offset his pale skin, flawlessly white and untouched by the sun. Too bad he was so young.  
  
Someone snickered from the other side of the room, drawing both boys' eyes away from each other. Miskia was awake, and seemed to find it quite amusing that the other two in the room were so taken with each other.  
  
"Hey guys. Xanatos, you might want to shut your mouth," she grinned. "Cirdynn, meet Xanatos DuCruet, of Telos," Miskia spoke as she motioned to Xan. "He's in a few of my classes." She walked over and sat next to the boy on the couch, Cirdynn, she called him.  
  
Xanatos looked a little uncomfortable, but he kept his voice under control, "I didn't realize that you had a roommate. Anyway, I guess I'll be going. See you tomorrow, Miskia." He glanced over to the eyes he'd been trying to avoid and inclined his head in his direction and left the room, the door sliding shut automatically behind him.  
  
Miskia and Cirdynn watched him go, then turned to each other.  
  
"Well he's cute, 'skia. Why haven't you trapped him yet?" Cirdynn asked.  
  
She rolled her eyes, "Seems you'd have more luck with that. How come you always turn the good ones, 'dynn? It's not fair."  
  
Grinning, Cirdynn gave her a hug and went to the door. "I'd better get out of here before he tells someone that you've got a guy in here who's not even enrolled any more. I'll contact you tomorrow morning," he turned and blew her a kiss from the hall as the door slid shut again. 


End file.
